Page 57 of Seventeen Years Ago

She smiled and said, “He’ll come because you are here. He’ll come because he loves you.”

Loves me?I didn’t recall hearing him say those words. He said he cared. That was different. And it was going to have to be enough.

I nodded and said, “I’m sorry about the project. I know how much it meant to you.”

Reesa said, “Not as much as you do. I’ll find someone else. It won’t be the same without Steven, but I’ll find someone.”

I wouldn’t. He’s the only one for me. If it meant I spent the rest of my life alone, then I would. I’m not going to settle now that I know what love feels like.

It's the best and worst feeling in the world.

CHAPTER21

Steven

I knew telling her I was leaving was going to be difficult to do, and even harder for her to hear. Still, there was no way I was going to take the coward’s way out and not do it face-to-face. She meant too much to me.

As we made our way to the airport, I knew Bennett wanted to say something. Maybe hearing it was going to help. Kind of like a slap in the face, which I also deserved. I didn’t even tell Caydan I was leaving, because he’d probably say whatever Bennett was about too.

“Just say what’s on your mind,” I said firmly.

“Fine. Glad you’re leaving,” Bennett stated.

That’s not what I thought he was going to say. Maybe tell me off for breaking her heart, letting her get close to me when I knew I was leaving, or maybe that she was too good for me. All of those things were on the mark. His comment wasn’t.

“Not that I care what you think, but why are you happy about it?” Don’t care what Aiza feels?

“I’ve done enough digging into your background. If you weren’t leaving on your own today, you might find yourself not very welcome here for much longer,” he said.

I wasn’t known as the nicest guy in the business. You couldn’t be in such a competitive world. But he married into the Henderson family, and they are hammers themselves. Probably a hell of a lot worse than me.

“Don’t worry. I didn’t accept the project,” I replied.

“Not talking about that. I’m talking about your first trip to Tabiq.”

It was like a punch in the gut. How did he know? Had Aiza shared that with Reesa? I knew they were close. Or maybe it slipped out to Allyson at the same time they were discussing my sex life. Either way, I was fucked. Bennett’s expression said he was livid. Rightly so. He was heavily invested in what happened to Tabiq.

If he knew I was here, then he would speculate as to why. He wouldn’t be far off from the truth but didn’t know it all. And just in case Aiza wasn’t the one who said anything, I wasn’t about to link her name to it.

“That was a long time ago,” I said.

“People here don’t forget, they shouldn’t. It’s what sets you up to let it happen again. And there are people, like me, who will doanythingto ensure that doesn’t happen. Just know that I don’t have proof of what you did when you were here, but I can guess. If anyone ever comes forward and tells me what you did to them, I’ll come to the US and drag your ass back here if I have to. But you’ll be brought to justice, one way or another,” Bennett stated.

“Is that a threat?” I asked.

“A promise. I can’t stomach people like you. Like your father. I was hoping I was wrong, and you weren’t like him. That you didn’t come here and take advantage of these people. I was fucking wrong. Wrong about you, and wrong about your fucking brother too,” he snapped.

“What the hell are you talking about?” I asked.

I don’t remember hearing anything about Michael being here. He never said a word to me. But if he had come, and done what my father ordered, then I understand why he went off the deep end. Why he took his life. I never looked too deeply into it because I was still young and in shock. Also too afraid to ask my father about it. He was angry at Michael. Called him a coward, even at the funeral. But he wasn’t. He was just another victim of my father's abuse.

I wish I would’ve known. Maybe together we could’ve stood up to him. Got him to stop.

It was all too late. The damage was done. Michael had been gone for almost eighteen years. Nothing I say or do can bring him back.

“I don’t know where you get your information, but my brother was a good man,” I snapped. “And I don’t think it’s appropriate to talk about the dead when they aren’t here to defend themselves.”

“He couldn’t even if he tried. I have all the proof about your brother that I need,” Bennett said.

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